Heat therapy is a thermotherapeutic procedure and belongs to the group of physical medicine. Heat therapy takes advantage of the reactions of the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and deeper tissues to the action of heat to produce its healing effects. The external application of heat by conduction, convection, or radiation through various heat carriers is a therapeutic procedure that has been practiced for centuries.
Indications (areas of application)
- General excitability
- Arthrosis (wear and tear of joints)
- Chronic painful processes
- Chronic inflammatory processes
- Degenerative processes
- Inflammations
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Lumbago – lumbago, sudden intense pain mostly in the lumbar region.
- Muscle shortening
- Myogeloses – nodular or bulging, clearly circumscribed hardening in the muscles (colloquially referred to as hard tension).
- Myalgia – diffuse or localized muscle pain.
- Post-acute conditions following surgery or trauma to the musculoskeletal system.
- Irritable conditions of the gastrointestinal tract (gastrointestinal tract) or the genitourinary tract (urinary and genital organs)
- Pain relief
- Spondylosis – in spondylosis, the change from pre-damaged intervertebral discs spreads to the surrounding bony parts of the spine, leading mainly to marginal attachments and spur formation on the vertebral bodies
- Spondylarthrosis – degenerative arthritic changes of the spine and small vertebral joints.
- Tendopathy – inflammatory changes in the tendons or tendon sheaths.
- Wound healing
- Rheumatic diseases of the soft tissues
Contraindications
- Acute inflammation
- Acute traumatic (accidental) changes
The procedure
The effect of heat is mediated, among other things, through thermoreceptors (sensory cells that register heat and report it to the brain so that the sensation enters consciousness). Stimulation results in reflexive effects that are transmitted via nervous connections between the receptors of, for example, the skin and the organ system (so-called cuti-visceral or consensual responses). This allows the heat to reach both superficial and deeper structures. The effects of heat therapy depend individually on the patient’s response. These include the following factors:
- Age
- Constitution
- Gender
- Disease activity
- Cold or heat type
In addition to influencing nervous connections, the therapy has mainly a circulation-enhancing and metabolism-activating effect. Thus, heat therapy acts in several ways:
- Reduction of muscle tone – relaxation of the muscles.
- Improving the extensibility of the connective tissue
- Decrease in joint stiffness
- Reduction of peripheral resistance – increase blood flow by reducing vascular resistance.
- Lowering blood pressure
- Increase metabolism – due to the increased temperature, there is an intensification of biochemical activities.
- Calming and deeper breathing
- Relief from pain
Heat therapy can be applied in a variety of ways. The different forms of application differ in the physical principle responsible for heat transfer. The principle of heat conduction (conduction) is used in heat packs. The heat capacity of the so-called peloids is also an effective variant. Peloids (Greek pelos – soft mud) are materials such as clay or loam, which are also applied as packs. Heat flow (convection) through a hot bath and heat radiation in the form of infrared radiation are other options for heat application. Water-filtered infrared light A (wIRA): This is a special infrared radiation (heat radiation) in the range of 780-1,400 nm (nanometers). This radiation is produced naturally by the filtering effect of water and water vapor in the earth’s atmosphere on the infrared radiation of the sun and is characterized by very good compatibility.Compared to other infrared radiation, the thermal effect is not on the uppermost layers of the skin, so it can be used in a variety of ways.Water-filtered infrared A has three main effects on the tissue: it significantly increases the temperature, the supply of oxygen and blood circulation. Irradiation with wIRA inhibits inflammation and increased fluid secretion, relieves pain and promotes regeneration. The forms of application of heat are selected according to the needs of the patient. The following options are available:
- Peloids – healing earth, moor, marl, sand, loam, loess and fango are usually applied as packs. The temperature is about 43-45 ° C and the exposure time is about 20-30 minutes.
- Packs and compresses:
- Hay Flower Bag – The hay flower bag is heated with steam and applied to the area to be treated.
- Mashed potato pack – Hot, cooked, mashed potatoes are wrapped in a linen cloth and applied.
- Flax seed sachet – Cooked, hot flax seeds are placed in a sachet for about 5 minutes.
- Mustard flour packs – Black mustard flour is infused with hot water and applied as a compress.
- Onion compresses
- White cabbage leaf wraps
- Chamomile compresses
- Hot roll – terry towels are rolled up, infused with boiling hot water, wrapped with a dry cloth and applied.
- Blankets, wraps
- Balneotherapy – bath therapy based on the use of medicinal waters (tinctures), medicinal peloids and inhalations.
- Hydrotherapy – The patient takes hot baths.
- Thermal radiation – infrared therapy (infrared A), high-frequency therapy, short-wave therapy, microwave therapy.
Benefits
Heat therapy is a very versatile procedure that can relieve pain, among other things. Due to the different possibilities of heat application, the patient can be put together an individual, needs-based therapy.
